The relevance of ethics and sustainability to marketing
It is a common assumption that marketing and sustainability are set for a head-on collision because marketing is about selling more while sustainability is about consuming less. Dig a little deeper, however and we are soon reminded that marketing?s core role is to align what the firm produces to what the market wants.
If marketing is about selling more, and sustainability is about consuming less resources meanwhile producing less pollution, how on earth are marketers supposed to pursue both goals at the same time? Perhaps, it?s easy to over-estimate the depth and scale of these conflicts ? and to underestimate the degree to which marketers can align traditional corporate objectives with those of ethics and sustainability.
Marketing?s core role is to align what the business produces to what the market wants the route to increased sales. However, aligning what the firm produces to what the market wants also requires that the firm invests money, people and resources only in the things that add value for customers. Whilst at the same time eliminating waste by not spending any effort, money or resources doing things that don?t add value for end users. Responsible marketing, in other words is also all about helping business avoid and eliminate waste as well as manage natural or man made resources. This is an important role for marketers and one that has not been fully recognised or appreciated in terms of potential to create innovative solutions.
Marketing is also the guardian of the brand, so a company?s marketing team must be able to take account of how social and cultural changes impact on the health of the brand. How is this to be addressed by marketers; are there any golden rules? How widely does marketing engage with the company?s stakeholders? Is marketing part of the stakeholder dialogue process or is this the province of corporate activities under environmental and social reporting? A more holistic inclusive approach across the business is required to safeguard the brand?s intangible assets of trust, goodwill and long-term value to the business.